Disclosed is an instrument for moving a part of a surgical implant into position or contact with another surgical implant part. More particularly, disclosed is an instrument for securing a spinal rod to a coupling element.
Spinal fixation surgical techniques use surgical implants and/or mechanical immobilization to fuse two or more vertebral bodies of the spinal column. Spinal fixation may also be used to alter the alignment of adjacent vertebral bodies relative to one another so as to change the overall alignment of the spinal column.
One spinal fixation technique involves immobilizing the spine using orthopedic stabilizing rods, or spine rods. A fixation element, such as a spinal screw, can be threaded into a pedicle of a vertebral body. The spinal screws are generally placed two per vertebra on opposite sides of the spine and serve as anchors for the spine rods. These rods are positioned generally parallel along the length of the spine. Coupling elements adapted for receiving a spine rod therethrough are then used to join the spine rods to the pedicle screws. The spine rod is then held into a seat of the coupling element by way of a set screw or fastener. This process is also known as rod “reduction.”
Rod reduction is performed by a surgeon typically using a rod reducing tool to create the necessary pushing and/or pulling forces on the implanted screw and rod. Surgeons can encounter considerable difficulty using these instruments. Many instruments require the use of two hands or have cumbersome mechanisms for urging rods into place. Other limitations of current rod reducing tools include problems with visualization of the surgical field. Handles and triggers used in some instruments block the surgeon's view of the field leading to errors and time lost during the procedure. Still other instruments have a multitude of moving parts with numerous connection points, which can fail as well as add to the cost of manufacturing.